The Park on Thursday

[biotic_psychotic]

It was Thursday and it was Valentine's Day and since she had blown off class on Monday she was blowing off her office hours as well. She'd asked some of the sword boys to come to the park and show off for her and at least two had definitely agreed and one more might show his ass up if he got his lazy bum out of bed in time. She'd banged on a few doors on Floor Four and loudly announced where she was going and why as an invitation of sorts.

She'd hit up Kanan's warehouse and borrowed an armful of his practice swords both metal and bamboo by stuffing them into a duffel bag. For a value of 'borrowed' that meant she hadn't asked but she totally meant to return them before he noticed they were gone. Eh. He was going to be busy today anyway. An item in his warehouse made her snicker quite a bit but she wasn't mean enough to spoil that surprise so she left it alone.

A stop by the Perk to collect a party-sized container of coffee and some cups saw her with enough caffeine to share and then she was off to the park. The practice swords were set out. She parked her ass on a bench with her first coffee of the day and waited. Relaxing back against the bench and enjoying the weather and sunshine.

It was going to be a great day. She could just tell.

[Open! If you think you heard her this morning you definitely did and also open to anyone heading by or through the park. Sword boys gonna sword for her amusement and education.]

Comments

[built_fjord_tough]

"I might've done," Fjord agreed. "Which ones count as 'some of yours,' anyway?"

Always good to know these things. Pick out the good people. Wheat and chaff and all that.

[biotic_psychotic]

"Kaidan," Jack said immediately. Tilted her head back and forth a little for a moment, "Kanan. Sparkle. Peebee, who's a student right now and fuck if I know why she thinks that's a funny joke."

Smirked a little, "For the rest, I stick to who Kaidan thinks is worth talking to. I'm bad at people. He said good things about Miguel, Peter, Beau, Atton, Kitty, Liam and Hernando. Zack too but guess he's fucked off on a mission somewhere."

[built_fjord_tough]

"Huh," Fjord mused, "then I'm on the right track, it seems like. I've met at least half of those people. Kaidan, of course. Miguel and I started the Drunk and Bored club," because solid life choices weren't either of their strong points. "Beau's a good friend. Kitty hired me. Liam helped me sort my shit out when this world and its technology were beyond me, and Hernando seems like a decent sort. My own damn problem if I don't like tea enough to visit more often."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Nobody should like tea that much," Jack said wryly, "So many other things to drink, boiled weeds should be lower on the list."

[built_fjord_tough]

"Though I am getting slightly more fond of roasted and brewed seeds," Fjord offered. And paused. "Which I don't go to Hernando's for."

Mostly he just went to work for those. Amaya spoiled him with coffee.

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack laughed suddenly and loudly and so much she had to put her head down between her knees to catch her breath. "Oh fuck. I just got back from a shopping trip that involved roasted and brewed seeds. Chocolate seeds. It was pretty goddamn epic. I'll try to remember to bring in some of the cocoa tomorrow so you can add whiskey and try it."

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord waited out that laughing with with a bemused sort of patience. And then smiled crookedly at the explanation.

"Roasted and brewed chocolate, huh? I'm not much of a sweet tooth," that would not be an issue here, "but hell, I'll try anything once. Sure, bring it on in."

Oh, ye of low low wisdom.

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack laughed again and shook her head. "Stuff I got ain't sweet. It's bitter as a bitch's heart and spicy-hot like lava. Goes well with whiskey though I'm told by Llwy some that Scotch would be better."

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord paused a moment.

"Scotch is whiskey, innit?"

He was reasonably certain this was the case.

"Hell, I still need to work on my Earth drinks."

What kind of bartender were you even, Fjord.

[biotic_psychotic]

"It's whiskey someone put too close to a fucking peat fire, Fjord," Jack said with a small nose wrinkle. "It tastes of burning ash and cinders."

Yum.

[built_fjord_tough]

"And you want to mix this with perfectly good chocolate... why?"

A beat.

"I mean, I'll try it. But 'burning ash' isn't exactly what I'm looking for when I ask for fire whiskey, either."

[biotic_psychotic]

"I wouldn't. I'd stick with whiskey," Jack pointed out. "I'm just told the Scotch is another thing people do and it's somehow..better."

She didn't trust it.

"It's not exactly chocolate," she said, "I mean.. it is but it's not sweet. Not unless you add sugar. This is just the beans before they add the sugar and stuff."

[built_fjord_tough]

"Well, it sounds like an experience either way," Fjord decided. "Go on and bring it along to the bar tomorrow night, and we'll test around, see what works best with it. Sound like a plan?"

[biotic_psychotic]

"Sure," Jack bobbed her head in a nod, "I can get you drunk at work again. It'll be fuckin' awesome!"

She was teasing.

Probably.

[built_fjord_tough]

"Hell, just so long as I can pour drinks and keep Tino in line, I don't see a problem with that."

He would... probably not get drunk at work.

Probably.

[biotic_psychotic]

"Ugh, Tino," Jack grimaced, "That douche. Kitty must have a heart made of whipped cream. Or else that shithead has some really good dirt on her."

She did not like Tino.

[built_fjord_tough]

"I think maybe Kitty's just not too picky about her employees," Fjord admitted after a moment. "My entire job interview was basically, 'Can I have a job?' 'Sure. What day do you want?'"

And she'd hired Sweet Dee.

[biotic_psychotic]

"She seems nice," Jack allowed, "Has to be really, to hire that moog." She made that word up. It was a very Tino sounding word. Like slime dripping off a counter. Mooooog.

[built_fjord_tough]

"I feel like the bar might've come with the moog already installed," Fjord mused. "He certainly seems like he's been around long enough."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Scary thought," Jack admitted after a drink of the coffee she'd picked up from the Perk that has been here since the post so there. "I suppose there've been stranger people here."

She had doubts.

[built_fjord_tough]

"Stranger, nah," Fjord decided. "... Possibly worse. But not stranger."

Tino was in a class all his own.

[biotic_psychotic]

"None other've made my shitlist so far but he did my first fucking weekend here," Jack agreed.

She did not like Tino.

[built_fjord_tough]

"That quickly, huh?" Fjord looked impressed. "What'd it take for that to happen?"

Tino being Tino?

[biotic_psychotic]

A muscle in her jaw worked. "Kanan's a regular on Tuesdays. It's his thing. Comes in, gets a non-alcoholic thing what's fucking even named after him. He's dry and tryin' to stay that fucking way. New Years Eve, he had a weak fucking moment and ordered a whiskey. Tino, that motherfucker, served him. I stole it before Kanan could drink it."

She narrowed her eyes at Tino. "Guy's on the wagon and you fucking know it, you maybe ask a fucking question to see if he's sure he wants to jump the fuck off it before you goddamn serve him. That motherfucking bastard is lucky I didn't pitch it on him and make myself some fucking Tino flambé. It was New Years so I cut him some slack but if he ever tries that shit again with either of my dry boys?"

She didn't have to answer that question. The look on her face probably said everything it needed to.

It was entirely possible that Kanan would have taken one inhale from the glass and slid it over to her anyway but it was also possible he would have thought 'just one won't hurt'. Maybe one even wouldn't have. The feeling like he'd failed that goal would've. She didn't want that for him. So: Fuck you, Tino, you utter, utter asshole.

[built_fjord_tough]

Fjord's brow creased.

"One more thing to watch out for on Fridays," he sighed. "You wanna describe this one to me, I'll make a point it doesn't happen on my watch, either."

And possibly light Tino on fire.

Or, uh, end up in the duck pond trying.